Sunday, October 9, 2011

What you need to know about Yogurt

After watching an episode of Dr. Oz the other night, in which he talked about yogurt, I decided to do a little research of my own. Below is what I found out.

I never knew - did you?

#1
To make yogurt the bacteria Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus
thermophilus, two good bacteria that are not only good for you but are
required by FDA standards for yogurt, are added to a warm milk bath
where they proceed to ferment and coagulate into a semisolid, producing
tangy lactic acid along the way. Manufacturers can add other probiotics
but they’re not required nor regulated by FDA.

#2
When buying yogurt, look at the seal. Established by the National
Yogurt Association, the seal indicates that the manufacturer is
promising that the yogurt contains at least 100 million active starter
cultures per gram when manufactured.

#3
Make sure you’re getting all the active cultures you’re paying. Some
yogurts are heat-treated after fermentation, which neutralizes the
good-for-you bacteria required for production, meaning that the
potential health benefits are neutralized too. Check the packaging:
The FDA mandates that these yogurts be labeled “heat-treated after
culturing.” If your yogurt is not heat-treated, the package may say
“active yogurt cultures,” “living yogurt cultures,” or “contains active
cultures.”

#4 Don’t
pour off the clear liquid that often separates and floats to the top of
many yogurts. Stir it in. This contains a little protein and some of
the tart flavor.

#5
Frozen “yogurt” is not regulated by the FDA meaning the scoop in your
cone could be made entirely from yogurt or it could be ice cream with a
little yogurt stirred in. Watch for the seal assuring that it is
actually life and active cultures.

#6
Watch for added sugars. Scan the ingredient list for added sugars such
as high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose, dextrose, maltose, maple syrup,
or fruit juice concentrate. Six ounces of typical plain nonfat yogurt
have about 11 grams of natural sugar and 80 calories. Flavored
varieties can add as much as 14 extra grams of sugar and 50+ calories.

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Martha A. Cheves

I'm from Georgia, moved to North Carolina by way of Florida. I've been in Charlotte for 14 years and love it. The recipes in my book Stir, Laugh, Repeat are all tested by "Food Testers" of which I now have 24. They try a dish and rate it from 1-10 with only those scoring at least an 8 making the book. My website is a holding place for my 2nd book Stir, Laugh, Repeat... Again. Please visit my site to find new recipes and tips. All recipes are easy, using common ingredients and according to my testers, great!
When I wrote my introduction about a year ago and a lot has happened since then. I now have 5 blog sites that keep me pretty busy. Two of my sites are dedicated to nothing but recipes. Martha's Recipe Cabinet holds recipes that will be included in one of my upcoming cookbooks. Martha's Kitchen Korner consists of recipes that are good but still need just a bit of work. On A Book and A Dish you will find my book reviews and the author's favorite recipe. Stir, Laugh, Repeat holds reviews written about my cookbook Stir, Laugh, Repeat and the site you are now on is the "mother" site for all of these. Here you will find cooking tips, simple recipes and updates for additions to the "offspring sites." So, enjoy!